Exodus 34

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] said to Moses, “Chisel out [hew, cut, or quarry] two stone tablets [similar to the first ones] like the originals, and I will write [inscribe, engrave] on them the words [things, matters, or commands] that were on the first [original, primary] tablets, which you [Moses, the Israelite leader] broke [shattered, ruptured, or fractured]. word study 2 Be ready [prepared, established] in the morning [at the break of day, dawn], and come up [ascend, go up] on Mount Sinai [the mountain where God gave the Law] to present yourself [stand before, station yourself] before Me [in My presence] on the mountaintop [the top of the mountain, the highest point]. word study 3 No one [no man, not a single person] may go up with you; in fact, no one [not even a single individual] may be seen anywhere on the mountain [the place of divine encounter]—not even the flocks [sheep] or herds [cattle, domesticated animals] may graze [feed, be nourished] in front of [opposite, towards] the mountain [the sacred place, the location of divine revelation].” word study 4 So Moses chiseled out [hewed, carved] two stone tablets [similar to the first] like the originals. He rose [got up early, ascended] early in the morning, and taking [to take, to get] the two stone tablets [polished tablets, possibly made of stone] in his hands [with his open hands], he went up [to ascend, to go up] Mount Sinai [a mountain, a spiritual high point] as the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had commanded [given orders, appointed] him. word study 5 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] descended [came down, went to a lower place] in a cloud, stood [presented Himself, was firmly established] with him there [in that location, at that time], and proclaimed [called out, declared] His name [identity, character, and honor], the LORD [the One who is, the supreme God]. word study 6 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], the LORD God [Elohim, the powerful Creator], is compassionate [merciful, full of pity] and gracious [kind, generous], slow [longsuffering, patient] to anger, abounding [rich, abundant] in loving devotion [kindness, mercy] and faithfulness [truth, reliability], word study 7 maintaining [showing, keeping] loving devotion [kindness, mercy] to a thousand [many, numerous] generations, forgiving [pardoning, overlooking] iniquity [moral evil, sin], transgression [rebellion, disobedience], and sin [guilt, wrongdoing]. Yet He will by no means [in no way, never] leave the guilty [wicked, unrepentant] unpunished; He will visit [reckon, punish] the iniquity [sin, guilt] of the fathers [ancestors, forefathers] on their children [descendants, offspring] and grandchildren [great-grandchildren, posterity] to the third [great-grandchildren] and fourth [great-great-grandchildren] generations.” word study 8 Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] immediately [with haste, quickly] bowed down [prostrated himself, shriveled up] to the ground [the earth, land] and worshiped [showing respect, reverence, adoring]. word study 9 “O Lord [Adonay, Master and Ruler],” he said, “if I have indeed found [discovered, attained] favor [graciousness, kindness] in Your sight [eye, gaze], my Lord [Elohim, the supreme God], please [I pray, I implore] go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked [rebellious, stubborn] people, forgive [pardon, show mercy] our iniquity [moral evil, sin] and sin [guilt, transgression], and take us as Your inheritance [possession, treasured people].” word study 10 And the LORD [Yehovah, the national name for God] said, “Behold [look, see], I am making [cutting, establishing] a covenant [promise, agreement]. Before [in the presence of] all your people I will perform [do, accomplish] wonders [marvels, amazing things] that have never been done [created, performed] in any nation [Gentile, country] in all the world [earth, land]. All the people among whom you live will see [look, behold] the LORD’s [Yehovah’s] work [deed, action], for it is an awesome [fearful, terrible] thing that I am doing [making, performing] with you [together, alongside]. word study 11 Observe [take heed, keep diligently] what I command [give orders, appoint] you this day [at this present time, now]. I will drive out [expel, cast out] before you [from your presence, from your path] the Amorites [a Canaanite tribe, descendants of Canaan], Canaanites [inhabitants of the land of Canaan], Hittites [descendants of Heth], Perizzites [a Canaanite tribe], Hivites [an ancient tribe in Palestine], and Jebusites [inhabitants of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem]. word study 12 Be careful [take heed to thyself] not to make a treaty [covenant, agreement] with the inhabitants [those dwelling, residents] of the land [earth, territory] you are entering [going into], lest [beware that] they become [be, come into being] a snare [trap, cause of ruin] in your midst [inner part, among you]. word study 13 Rather, you must tear down [destroy, overthrow] their altars [places of sacrifice], smash [break, dash in pieces] their sacred stones [pillars, monuments], and chop down [cut down, shatter] their Asherah poles [idolatrous pillars, groves]. word study 14 For you must not [under any circumstances] worship [bow down to, pay homage to] any other [different, foreign] god, for the LORD [Yehovah], whose name [identity, character] is Jealous [zealous, passionately protective], is a jealous [possessively loving, fiercely devoted] God. word study 15 Do not make a [formal agreement or treaty] covenant with the inhabitants [residents or dwellers] of the land, for when they [commit spiritual adultery, go astray] prostitute themselves to their gods [idols or false deities] and sacrifice [offer or slaughter animals] to them, they will invite you, and you will eat [partake or participate in] their sacrifices [offerings or pagan rituals]. word study 16 And when you take [receive, get] some of their daughters [female children, women] as brides [wives, marriage partners] for your sons [male descendants, children], their daughters [female offspring] will prostitute [commit idolatry, fornicate] themselves to their gods [idols, false deities] and cause your sons [male descendants] to do the same [follow their example, imitate them]. word study 17 You shall make [not create or form] no [absolutely none] molten [cast metal, liquid] gods [Elohim, idols, false deities] for [on behalf of, belonging to] yourselves [your own benefit, use]. word study 18 You are to keep [observe, celebrate] the Feast [festival, sacred assembly] of Unleavened Bread [bread made without yeast]. For seven days at the appointed time [designated season, meeting] in the month of Abib [the month of new beginnings, young barley], you are to eat unleavened bread [bread without yeast, a reminder of haste] as I commanded [instructed, appointed] you. For in the month of Abib [the time of spring, renewal] you came out [escaped, were delivered] of Egypt [a place of bondage, slavery]. word study 19 The first offspring [every firstborn, all that openeth the matrix] of every womb [the place of fetal growth, matrix] belongs to Me, including all the firstborn [firstling] males among your livestock [cattle, sheep, and goats], whether cattle [oxen, bulls] or sheep [including goats]. word study 20 You must redeem [with a price, ransom] the firstborn [the first child, initial offspring] of a donkey [male ass, beast of burden] with a lamb [sheep, young animal]; but if you do not redeem [pay the price, set free] it, you are to break [destroy, behead] its neck. You must redeem [buy back, rescue] all [every, the entire] the firstborn [initial, premier] of your sons [male children, descendants]. No one shall appear [come, stand] before Me [in My presence, face to face] empty-handed [without an offering, vacant]. word study 21 Six [a period of six days, a hexad] days you shall labor [toil, work diligently], but on the seventh [the final day of the week, the Sabbath] day you shall rest [cease from work, desist]; even in the seasons [times, periods] of plowing [preparing the soil, charish] and harvesting [gathering, reaping], you must rest [stop working, take a break]. word study 22 And you are to celebrate [observe, keep] the Feast [festival, appointed time] of Weeks [a period of seven days] with the firstfruits [early, choice produce] of the wheat [grain, crop] harvest [gathering, reaping], and the Feast [festival, celebration] of Ingathering [harvest, gathering] at the turn [end, revolution] of the year [a cycle of time, a season]. word study 23 Three [thrice, on three occasions] times a year [every year, annually] all [every one of] your males [male children, men] are to appear [present themselves, come before] before the Lord [the sovereign Master, ʼâdôwn] GOD [Yehovah], the God [El Shaddai, the all-powerful One] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob]. word study 24 For I will drive out [dispossess, cast out] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] before you and enlarge [make wide, expand] your borders, and no one [man, individual] will covet [desire, take great pleasure in] your land [earth, territory] when you go up [ascend, rise] three [thrice, a complete set of] times a year to appear [present yourself, come before] before the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God]. word study 25 Do not [under any circumstances] offer the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] of a sacrifice [an act of worship and devotion] to Me along with anything [including bread] leavened [containing yeast], and do not let any of the sacrifice [offering, a gift to God] from the Passover Feast [a celebration of liberation, commemorating the Exodus] remain [be left unused] until morning [the break of day, a new beginning]. word study 26 Bring the best of the firstfruits [the first ripe fruits, the choicest produce] of your soil [land, earth, ground] to the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God]. You must not cook [boil, seethe] a young goat [kid, juvenile goat] in its mother’s [female parent] milk.” word study 27 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] also said to Moses, “Write down [record, inscribe] these words [the commands, the covenant terms], for in accordance with [based on, according to the tenor of] these words I have made [cut, established] a covenant [a promise, an agreement] with you and with Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people].” word study 28 So Moses was there [in the presence of, with] with the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] forty days and forty nights [a significant period of time, a period of testing] without eating bread [food, nourishment] or drinking water [refreshment, sustenance]. He wrote on the tablets [polished stones, a means of recording] the words [things, matters] of the covenant [promise, agreement]—the Ten Commandments [divine laws, instructions]. word study 29 And when Moses [the Israelite leader, mediator of God’s covenant] came down [descended, went down] from Mount Sinai [the mountain of God’s revelation] with the two [a pair, dual] tablets [polished stones, wooden boards] of the Testimony [God’s witness, covenant agreement] in his hands [his power, authority], he was unaware [did not know, ignorant] that his face [his presence, countenance] had become radiant [shone, glowed] from speaking [talking, conversing] with the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah]. word study 30 Aaron [the first high priest] and all [every single one] the Israelites looked [gazed with wonder] at Moses, and behold [look, take notice], his face [presence, countenance] was radiant [shining, having a glorious appearance]. And they were afraid [filled with awe, reverent fear] to approach [draw near, come close to] him. word study 31 But Moses [the Israelite leader] called out [to summon, to invite] to them; so Aaron [the first high priest] and all [every single one] the leaders [rulers, high-ranking officials] of the congregation [a gathering of people, the community] returned [to turn back, to come again] to him, and Moses [the lawgiver] spoke [to communicate, to talk] to them. word study 32 And after [following, subsequent to] this all [every single one, the entire nation] the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] came near [approached, drew close], and Moses commanded [gave orders, instructed] them to do [obey, fulfill] everything [all things, the entirety] that the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] had told [spoken, communicated] him on [at, near] Mount [a high elevation] Sinai [the mountain of God’s revelation]. word study 33 When Moses [the Israelite leader] had finished [completed, ended] speaking [communicating, conversing] with them, he put [placed, set] a veil [a covering, a mask] over his face [his presence, his countenance]. word study 34 But whenever Moses [the Israelite leader, a servant of God] went in before the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] to speak [to communicate, to converse] with Him, he would remove [to turn aside, to take away] the veil [a curtain, a covering] until he came out. And when he came out, he would tell [to speak, to declare] the Israelites what he had been commanded [given orders, instructed], word study 35 and the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] would see [behold, gaze upon] that the face [presence, countenance] of Moses was radiant [shining, glowing with divine light]. So Moses would put the veil [curtain, covering] back over his face [presence, countenance] until he went in [entered, came near] to speak [communicate, converse] with the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. word study